An architecture of software-defined networking (SDN) can be divided into a control plane and a forwarding plane. The control plane possesses data about all interfaces, routes, and the like of the forwarding plane, and is responsible for establishing a path. The forwarding plane performs data forwarding. The control plane needs to deliver a formed forwarding indication message to the forwarding plane, so that the forwarding plane implements data forwarding according to the forwarding indication message. However, a delivering form of a forwarding indication message that is from the control plane to the forwarding plane is not explicitly stipulated in an OpenFlow standard of the SDN.